A Future Lived in the Past
by pain17ification
Summary: After the fight with Kakuzu, Naruto is placed on light duty during his recovery. During that time, he learns about his parents and is given some notes on sealing. Unfortunately, his overly eager nature and inexperience with seals send him hurtling through time, landing in Nordopolica. Taken in by Belius, what sort of mark will Naruto leave on this time? Naruto/Judith pairing!
1. Chapter 1: Current Future, Ancient Past

**Alright! Here I go with my second attempt at a** _ **Naruto**_ **crossover with** _ **Tales of Vesperia**_ **!**

 **My first attempt had a few things wrong with it. For starters, I put Naruto there with skills that far surpassed anyone in the game. Another mistake was bringing in a character from a third series that had no business being there.**

 **There are others, but those two mistakes were the most glaring. So, I've decided to scrap that idea entirely and this will be its replacement. The previous story will be deleted soon after this post.**

 **Without further ado, let's begin!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, and this FanFiction is for entertainment purposes only. I aim only to bring out my creativity; not make a profit.**

* * *

 _A Future Lived in the Past_

 _Chapter 1: Current Future, Ancient Past_

* * *

"In light of your injuries," Tsunade concluded, having heard the report from Kakashi and Yamato about the conflict with Kakuzu and Hidan, "I'm placing you on bedrest, Kakashi."

The man gave a tired eye-smile, having to be supported slightly by Yamato. "I appreciate that, Lady Hokage."

"And Naruto," she turned to the only male blonde in the room, seeing his arm in a sling, "that jutsu you created…" She closed her eyes to avoid seeing his obvious reaction as she finished, "I'm labeling it a Forbidden Jutsu."

"What?! But I worked my ass off to make it, and it put a stop to Kakazu!" he argued.

"Yes, but at the same time it has horrific backlash on your arm." She opened her eyes again, locking a stern gaze upon his blue orbs. "Tell me honestly, your arm hurts worse than any other time in your life, doesn't it?"

He cringed at the question, avoiding her gaze. "…yeah…"

"It's an amazing jutsu, Naruto; no one is denying that. However, it's not worth your arm or your career. Think about it; what will you do when the chakra pathways in your arm are too damaged for you to use jutsu?"

He clenched his left fist as it trembled, a sign of his frustration. "…Fine, I get it," he conceded, not hiding his displeasure.

No one could blame him for being so upset. After all, he had worked incredibly hard and devoted a lot of conjoined time into making his RasenShuriken. Without his clones putting in the effort as well, he'd still be stuck on the first step of Wind Manipulation training. Plus, it was the very jutsu that recoiled on his arm that pulled their asses out of the fire.

"Everyone but Naruto leave," ordered the busty Hokage.

The others shared a look with her before they complied with her order. Yamato and Sakura both led Kakashi to the hospital while the others went their own separate ways.

Left alone with the woman he constantly called _Granny_ , Naruto let go of the restraints he put on his emotions. His frustrated expression became somber as he turned back to face the woman.

"So…what happens now?" he asked.

"For now, I'm assigning you to light duty. Your arm is still recovering, after all."

"What will I be doing? Helping you with paperwork?"

She smirked at him, showing amusement at his slight jab. "No, I won't spoil the fun for you yet. You'll get to enjoy it when you take the hat from me." She was pleased to see a faint smile on his face. "I believe it's time that you got started on learning fuinjutsu."

"Sealing Arts?" he queried, tilting his head. "Not that I'm not curious to learn, but why that?"

"You and I both carry Uzumaki blood within us, Naruto," she began to explain, not bothering to hide things from him. "I'd learn the art if there wasn't another Uzumaki in the village, if only to respect the ancestry of my grandmother, Mito."

"But, since I'm here…"

She nodded, confirming his silent question. "You'll be learning them instead. To be frank, I have no particular interest in sealing other than this mark on my forehead." She jabbed a thumb to the rhombus marking. "I think that you'd show more interest in them than I ever will."

He nodded in understanding, his gaze downward. "…Could you tell me which of my parents was an Uzumaki?"

She heard the desperation in his voice, which made her stand up from her chair and move around her desk to stand in front of him. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, guiding his gaze back to hers so he could see the proud smile she had on her face.

"Your mother was Kushina Uzumaki, a dear friend of mine that I saw as family; despite us already being distantly related. She was a wonderful woman who was a master of fuinjutsu."

"You said _was_ ," he noted. "So, that means that she's…"

"Yes, she's dead. I'm sorry…"

Shaking his head, he gave her a teary smile. "Don't be. I'm just happy to finally learn about her. The Old Man was always so tightlipped about my parents whenever I brought up the subject. I was honestly afraid that she was alive and hated me…"

"She would never hate you, baka. She loved you from the moment she realized she was pregnant with you, and she loved you in death as well; both of your parents did."

He wiped his tears with a slightly hoarse chuckle. "That's a relief…"

"I'd tell you about your father as well; but I think that reveal should be made by the pervert."

"Pervy Sage? He knew my parents too?"

"Yes, but just be a little more patient. I'll have him talk to you as soon as he can, okay?"

He nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Tsunade…"

"Oh? No _Granny_ puns this time?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Nah… I can't find it in me to say it to your face anymore; considering you told me something I've wanted to know for as long as I can remember."

She smiled at his reasons, placing a hand on his cheek again. "They'd be proud of the man you're becoming Naruto. Don't ever doubt that for a moment."

"I won't," he promised before he excused himself from the office.

* * *

The next morning found Naruto seated atop the head of the Fourth Hokage, waiting for the Perverted Toad Sage to arrive. He looked down at his village, smiling at the beauty of it and at the villagers going about their day-to-day lives.

"Thought I'd find you here, kid," a familiar voice called out, prompting him to turn and see Jiraiya grinning at him. "So, I heard you finally completed it. Nice work. I knew you had it in you."

He rubbed his head bashfully at the praise. "Thanks, Pervy Sage."

"Still calling me that, huh? No respect, I tell you…"

"Sorry," Naruto replied jokingly, knowing that this was just byplay between him and his master. "So, Tsunade said you were gonna get me started on fuinjutsu?"

"That's right, and let me just say that I'm glad she convinced you to do so. I've got plenty of experience with fuinjutsu, and I was worried my knowledge would go to waste. But, my fears don't matter anymore since you agreed."

The two shared a grin and a laugh at that. "Hey, before we start…could I ask you something?"

"You wanna know about your old man," Jiraiya stated, earning a surprised look. "C'mon, did you really think Tsunade wouldn't tell me before I came here? She's the one who wanted me to tell you, remember?'

His cheeks flushed in embarrassment at forgetting that. "So…?"

"I'll cut to the chase, then. Your sitting on the carved head of your father, Naruto."

"But I'm on…" His eyes widened at that. "…My dad was the Fourth Hokage…"

"And my apprentice before you," added the Toad Sage. "He was a good man, a great ninja, and," he gave the young man a smile, "he would've been a wonderful father to you, kid."

Shock filled Naruto to the brim. The man he had idolized as a young boy was his father. It was a heavy pill to swallow; especially since his father was also the one who put the Kyuubi in his gut.

"You gonna be okay?" Jiraiya asked in concern.

"Y-Yeah… I just…need some time to wrap my head around this."

Nodding, the older man walked over to his apprentice, pulling out a dark blue scroll from his haori. "Here," he said, tossing the scroll into Naruto's lap. "Those are some of my notes on fuinjutsu. Go ahead and take a look at them when you think you're ready."

"I will… Thanks, Jiraiya."

"Oho! Calling me by my name now, are you?"

"Like I told Tsunade, I can't find it in me to call you by the nickname I gave you since you told me something I've wanted to know for so long." He then deadpanned at the Sage and added, "I'll most likely get over it after I catch you peeping or doing something else perverted."

The Gallant Jiraiya gave out a boisterous laugh at the honesty coming from his young student. "I'd be worried if you didn't!"

With that, he walked off with a wave over his shoulder, his laughter dying down to chuckles as he headed down. Left alone, Naruto turned back to the village. His mind was filled with questions about his parents, but he didn't dwell on them for too long. He was beyond happy to learn about them, but they were gone; and they'd been that way for his whole life.

He'd have time to think about them whenever he wanted. For now, he had some studying to do; something that made him chuckle. After all, it was ironic that the Dead Last of the Leaf Twelve would study anything since he never did it in the Academy.

* * *

"Think he'll be okay?" Tsunade asked, sharing some of her sake with her old teammate.

"He'll be fine. The kid's tougher than we give him credit for." He took a drink from his dish before adding, "Don't forget that he grew up thinking the worst, and he still turned out okay."

"That's not exactly something we should be happy about, Lord Jiraiya," Shizune cut in, looking concerned. "It must have been horrible to think that Lord Minato and Lady Kushina hated him and abandoned him at birth."

Tsunade paused in her drink, setting down her dish with a somber expression. "How the hell did he stay so optimistic throughout the years?"

"Stubbornness," Jiraiya answered. "The kid's as stubborn as Kushina; which isn't a bad thing, actually. He may have thought the worst, but he stubbornly believed that he'd prove everyone that they were wrong about him. It's what kept him going."

"I'm guessing you saw that stubbornness?"

"Many times," confirmed the man. "Every time he acted that way, I couldn't help but see his mother in him. It was hard to keep it from him during our training trip."

"Speaking of that," Tsunade began, her expression turning stern, "why didn't you start him on fuinjutsu when you were gone? Based on the reports of his recent missions, Naruto still relies too much on his clones and the Kyuubi. I understand that he needs to get a better handle on that chakra, but that shouldn't mean his other skills should stagnate or suffer."

"I had to drill in the basics for a majority of the first part of our trip," the Sage confessed. "He didn't even know how to dispel genjutsu, after all. By the time he got a better handle on them, we had spent more time than I hoped. After that, I focused on toughening him up so that his body could handle Bijuu chakra, while putting some battle tactics in that head of his."

"So, the problem was that you lost too much time because he wasn't taught properly to begin with," Tsunade concluded.

"Exactly. As cruel as it may sound, maybe Naruto messing up his arm was a good thing." He held up a hand to stop any outbursts from the two women. "Hear me out. Because you've put him on light duty, he has to be really careful with what he could train in. This gives him plenty of time to get started on the fuinjutsu he wasn't able to see during our trip."

"I suppose that's true," Shizune conceded, sharing a look with her master.

"Yes, even if the circumstances leading to this could've been better. At any rate, I suggest we give Naruto some space for now. He's got a lot on his mind, and he'll talk to us when he's ready."

The other two nodded in agreement.

* * *

A couple of weeks later showed Naruto sitting in his apartment, looking over Jiraiya's notes once more. His right arm was out of its sling, but it was still tender. He was told to give it some exercise so that his muscles wouldn't atrophy from the backlash of his jutsu. The many healing sessions, combined with the Kyuubi's chakra, were slowly repairing the damage; but it was definitely slower than any other time he had been on recovery.

Currently, he was trying to copy a sealing formula that focused on trapping targets in a barrier that threw off their sense of time. It was meant to be used in tandem with multiple copies so that it covered wide areas; which meant multiple targets. He was taking his time, considering he was right-handed and said arm was still recovering.

He had stayed up all night working on the seal, his excitement preventing him from getting any sleep. Currently, he was only dressed in his orange pants with the necklace of the First Hokage resting on his neck; the gemstone lightly touching his chest.

He had a look of concentration that was rarely seen on his face, taking extreme care with his writing. Calligraphy wasn't his strong suit, and he only made sure to write neat enough for his words to be legible to a degree. But with fuinjutsu, the writing and brush strokes needed to be meticulously precise and neat. So, this was the hardest thing he had done in a while; mentally at least.

With a relieved exhale, he finally pulled away from his work and compared it with the notes in the Toad Sage's scroll. "Looks alright to me," he mused before creating a Shadow Clone, wincing at the chakra moving through his still healing chakra network in his arm. "You mind activating this for me so I could experience it firsthand?"

"You sure we shouldn't wait for Pervy Sage or Tsunade to witness this?" the clone asked.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," fired back the original, using a quote he had seen many times in Jiraiya's notes. They acted as both a notebook and a journal, with writings about Jiraiya's personal experiences with the seals he was studying and little tips/reminders. "So, go ahead and fire it up."

"If you say so," the clone conceded, still looking a tad bit concerned.

He was a perfect copy of the original, after all; so, his worry was also Naruto's worry. It's just that Naruto's excitement was superseding that concern.

"Here goes," the clone began, activating the Temporal Displacement Seal on the floor, with the original sitting perfectly in the center.

The brilliant flash of sky-blue light broke through his apartment windows, catching the attention of many villagers while the burst of chakra caught the attention of the shinobi. One of them, who happened to be in the area, rushed over to the scene while making a clone to report to the Hokage. They were nothing more than a tan blur as they raced to the glowing apartment complex.

"Dammit, gaki," growled out Anko Mitarashi, who had gained a soft spot for the blonde after their mission together years ago. "What the hell are you doing?"

* * *

Tsunade perked up at the feeling of chakra, and she was about to call on her ANBU before someone broke through her window, landing unceremoniously and breathing hard. "Mitarashi! What the hell are you-?"

"It's the gaki, Lady Hokage!" the clone of the Snake Mistress interrupted. "Something's going on at his apartment, and it's what caused that chakra spike just now!"

Honey brown eyes widened and a stern voice ordered, "ANBU, get down there on the double! I'll be right behind you!"

"Yes, ma'am!" they all replied before four blurs took off for Naruto's home, their Hokage not far behind them.

* * *

 _'Okay… Something's not right here,'_ Naruto mused as a translucent blue barrier surrounded him on the outlines of his sealing circle. He looked to his clone, only for his blue eyes to widen in surprise when he saw that it had already dispelled. Memories rushed back, and he was shown that activating the seal disrupted the chakra in the clone and forced it to dispel; most of the disruption being in his arm. "Uh-oh…"

No sooner than he said that did the barrier begin to swirl, becoming a sky-blue hurricane of bright light that cut off his sight from outside his seal. He heard voices and noise on the other side, but the hurricane of chakra distorted them to the point where they blurred together; most of them sounding as if they were in slow motion.

"Well, at least it _slightly_ works," he mused nervously, trying to stay hopeful that things will be alright.

Those hopes were dashed, unfortunately, when the barrier of swirling light began to close in; making his heart race. Closer and closer the edges crept, and his necklace began to react to their proximity by glowing a stunning emerald.

"What the hell-?" he started to ask before the green light overtook the blue, and felt his body suck in on itself.

To the ANBU, Hokage, and Special Jonin witnessing the phenomenon, they saw the blue hurricane gain an emerald core before it all caved in on itself; dispersing in a burst of bluish-green dust that was swept away by the outside breeze. And ANBU wasted no time to inspect the place for anyone who could've caused this while Tsunade and Anko just stared at where the light once resided.

"Naruto/Gaki…" they whispered, both women worried about the whiskered blonde.

* * *

"Welcome, spectators from all over the world to the Nordopolica Coliseum!" an announcer called out, standing in an elevated booth that overlooked the arena floor. "We have a special event for you all, today! This is our 50-Man Melee!"

The spectators in the stands all cheered at the announcement, watching eagerly as fifty combatants were let into the coliseum. It was chaos when the melee started, but it was such wonderful chaos that the audience was on its feet in excitement.

Soon, it was down to four exhausted combatants. They all stared one another down, waiting for one of them to make the first move. One of them was about to give into his growing nerves, but a blue hurricane that sprouted in the center of the arena made them all back off on instinct.

The hurricane raged, and a bright emerald light was seen forming in its core before the whole thing dispersed, revealing a blonde teen who stood shirtless in the center of the field. The surprise of his appearance left everyone speechless; even though some of the female spectators blushed at how handsome he looked.

"What the hell…?" Naruto murmured to himself.

"What's this?!" the announcer called out through his microphone, using the sudden appearance to his advantage to get the crowd more excited. "A brave new challenger has appeared! How will he fair against four opponents?!"

"Challenger? Opponents?" repeated Naruto, looking to the four armored men standing around him.

Unknown to him, a man with red hair and a patch covering his left eye was also watching the match. His lone eye narrowed at the young blonde, but he was brought away from the scene by another member of Palestralle. "What is it?"

"The Duce felt a disturbance and asked me to investigate," the woman answered. "Any ideas what happened, Natz?"

"That boy," Natz pointed down to the blonde that was dodging attacks from the other four men, "appeared in a burst of light. That happened moments before you came."

The female member of the guild observed the whiskered blonde. "Why's that boy only wearing pants?" She then spotted the necklace he wore; specifically, the gemstone. "Is that a blastia?"

"Possibly. I'll escort him to the Duce as soon as this match is over. It wouldn't be a good idea to upset the spectators, after all."

"I'll let Belius know," bid the woman before she took her leave.

Natz turned back to the arena floor, keeping his eye on the newcomer and how he finished off the final combatant with a hard kick to his chest. The crowd cheered for the boy's victory, the announcer getting them all the more hyped up about it. With that, Natz gathered two more guildmates and headed down to the arena.

* * *

Having realized that he already made a big scene with his sudden entrance, Naruto didn't do anything against the three people who ordered him to follow them. He noticed that they all had the same emblem on different parts of their clothes or armor; so, it was obvious that they were all part of the same group. No doubt, he was being taken to their superior; most likely for questioning.

But their emblem was strange to him; as was the city he had landed in. The seal he was working with wasn't meant to transport him at all; only mess with his sense of time. Worry began to grow within him, and it only grew when he realized that he had nothing with him other than his pants and necklace. No weapons, no headband, nothing…

He was in trouble.

"Before we enter," the leader of the trio spoke up, bringing Naruto's attention back to him, "I strongly suggest not speaking of _anything_ you see in here." It was only then that Naruto realized that they stood in front of a large set of double doors. "This is one of Palestralle's guild laws, and we will gladly take you down should you break that law."

He nodded immediately to show he understood. He was on their turf, so he'd play by their rules if he wanted to stay alive or out of trouble. When he was led into the room, he couldn't see anything for a few moments before torches were lit. The being revealed to him made him speechless as his blue eyes widened in amazement.

Looking like a cross between a fox and a centaur, he was greeted with the sight of the obvious leader. It was made more apparent when the redheaded man moved to stand in front of her, facing the blonde as he announced, "This is Belius, Duce of Palestralle and founder of the city of Nordopolica."

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat when Belius beckoned him closed. Nervously, he stepped up to the being and kept his gaze from straying. It was beaten into his head that looking away from important figures was extremely disrespectful; even when he had his own form of _respect_.

 _"You are a peculiar one, child,"_ Belius spoke, the voice female. _"What is your name?"_

"Naruto… Naruto Uzumaki," he answered. The obvious power she held made him nervous, and he didn't want to get on her bad side.

 _"I was informed that you arrived in a brilliant light, and I can feel how the aer reacts to you."_

"The…air?" he cut in, sounding confused. "I don't think I understand. I mean, I know I have a Wind Chakra Nature, but-"

This time, she cut in. _"Not air with an 'I', child. Aer with an 'E'. Your ignorance to that fact makes you even more peculiar."_ She turned to her guild members and ordered, _"Leave us for now."_

"Yes, Duce," Natz replied, leading his guildmates out of the chamber.

"If you don't mind me asking," Naruto began once they were alone, earning a nod from Belius, "what are you? You don't match any of the descriptions of the Bijuu, and you definitely don't feel like them."

 _"I am not familiar with the term 'Bijuu', but based on your words, I assume their beings of great power and size."_

"Yeah, there are nine of them. From One to Nine, each is more powerful than the previous; and they're recognized by the amount of tails that match their number."

 _"Interesting. I'd like to know about them later."_ He nodded in agreement. _"For now, tell me something else. You mentioned 'chakra' earlier. What exactly is that?"_

"It's an energy that shinobi use; but everyone has. I didn't exactly pay attention much during the Academy, but I remember that it's a mix of physical and spiritual energy."

 _"An inner energy, you say? Show me,"_ she ordered, her eyes narrowed slightly.

Nodding at the order, Naruto held up his left palm and formed an incomplete Rasengan in it; Belius taking note of a strange marking on his abdomen as he did so. However, something felt off with his chakra, and he fell to a knee as soon as he dispelled the jutsu. Sweat formed on his brow and his breathing grew heavy, as if he had gone through an intense workout with Rock Lee and Guy-sensei.

 _"Does this 'chakra' always exhaust you so easily?"_

"N-No… I always had chakra to spare; but, something feels wrong with my chakra. It felt harder to call on, and I don't feel like I have as much as I used to."

 _"Hmm… How did you arrive here in Nordopolica? What was that light you appeared from?"_

"I was working on a seal," he began, getting her interest once more. "It was meant to throw off my sense of time, and I was having a chakra based clone try it out on me so I could get a better understanding of it."

 _"Strange… Every seal I've heard of does only that; seal away something. Are you saying that seals where you came from do other things?"_

"Yes. Some seals can store away objects, some can weaken people…and some are powerful enough to seal the Bijuu I mentioned earlier."

 _"That mark on your body… You have one of those Bijuu within you, don't you?"_

"Not by choice," Naruto defended, confirming her assumption. "It was attacking my home village and nothing my people tried could stop it. So…my father," it was still hard to believe to him, "who was named the Fourth Hokage, or leader, of our village used a sacrificial seal to place the Kyuubi inside me. The Kyuubi is the strongest of the Nine Bijuu, and my father gave up his life to seal it away. My mother gave up her life to help him do so…"

 _"Fascinating…"_ Belius commented sincerely, intrigued by his story. She felt no lies from the young human; only truth and sadness. It was obvious to her that the loss of his parents was still a heavy subject for him, so she didn't bring them up. _"Go on with your story of how you arrived here."_

"Right, got a little sidetracked," he confessed awkwardly. "Anyway, something went wrong with the seal and I was trapped inside of it before it collapsed in on itself and I wound up in your arena. I didn't mean to intrude or cause problems, and I'll leave right away. I just want to get back home. No doubt I worried my friends with my _grand exit_ …"

 _"And where exactly is your home?"_

"It's in the Land of Fire. It's known as the Hidden Leaf Village."

 _"I've never heard of such places,"_ Belius confessed, making his eyes widen. _"I assume it's a well-known location, despite 'Hidden' being in the name?"_

"All of the shinobi villages have 'Hidden' in their title. It represents the general area where they're located. For example, the Hidden Leaf is surrounded by lots of trees and forests."

 _"I see. However, I repeat that I've never heard of such places. Currently, you're on the continent of Desier. Does that sound familiar to you at all?"_

"No…" he answered, his worry once again growing. "D-Do you have a map?"

She nodded and gestured to one of her walls, showing a large map with several land masses that surrounded a massive ocean. She led him over to it, pointed at her city on the eastern tip of Desier. _"We are here, in Nordopolica. Do you see your country or village?"_

He studied the map, going over it all many times before his heart sank. "…no…" he whispered.

 _"Then my theory may be correct,"_ mused Belius, getting his full attention. _"You said you were working on something that interfered with your sense of time, but it didn't act like it was supposed to."_

"Yeah…?"

 _"…I'm thinking that your 'seal' may have went above and beyond what it was intended for. It DID mess with your sense of time…by sending you out of YOUR time."_

He recoiled in shock, finding his legs growing weak at the theory. He looked back to the map desperately, hoping beyond all hope that her theory would be wrong. But, the more and more he looked at the map, the more and more her words and his actions replayed in his mind.

He couldn't be in another time…could he?

 _ **"** ** _S_ he's…right,"**_ a weak, guttural voice echoed in his head.

 _'Kyuubi! How do you know that she's-?!'_

 _ **"Because I'm**_ _ **…**_ _ **starting to disappear**_ _ **…**_ _ **from your seal,"**_ the Bijuu interrupted, _**"and your chakra**_ _ **…i**_ _ **s fading away."**_

 _'N-No… Was that why-?'_

 _ **"** **Yes, that's why trying that**_ _ **…**_ _ **damnable jutsu your father made**_ _ **…**_ _ **exhausted you. You only sped up the process; but**_ _ **…**_ _ **it looks like your body is adapting**_ _ **…**_ _ **to the changes of the world**_ _ **…**_ _ **as both your chakra and I leave you."**_

 _'But why are you leaving?'_

The Bijuu took a breath, gathering some more strength. _**"** **Half of my essence – half of what makes me what I am – exists in a different time. I can't exist without being in the same time as my other half; it's impossible,"**_ it answered, sounding better than it did earlier.

 _'But what about-?!'_

 _ **"** **I already told you, your body is adapting to this time and the energy it has. It's tethering you here, stopping you from simply dying or fading away into nonexistence. Congratulations, boy; you've once again done the impossible."**_

The praise felt far more bitter than sweet. _'…How long?'_

 _ **"** **I have perhaps another week based on how fast my chakra is fading. You, on the other hand, will be without chakra in a couple of days."**_

Naruto fell to his knees, his fists pressed against the ground as tears fell from his clenched eyes. "No… It's not fair… I didn't want this to happen!"

Belius said nothing, seeing the young human before her finally coming to terms with what had happened. Absently, she made a mental note to send word to her friend Don Whitehorse, as well as call her brother, Phaeroh. Both of them would want to know about this boy.

 _ **"** ** _F_ or what it's worth,"**_ the Kyuubi spoke up, getting through the distress Naruto was feeling, _**"this could be an opportunity for you, boy."**_

 _'How the hell is this an opportunity?! I've lost everything and everyone important to me!'_

 _ **"** ** _T_ rue, you have. However, take a moment to think about this question I have for you. How many times have you asked – prayed even – for another chance; a new life without the pain you suffered?"**_

 _'…'_

 _ **"** ** _T_ hink on it when you have a moment… Consider this the last time we'll speak with one another. I'd rather fade away on the terms we have now, after all." **_A chuckle was heard as the fox added, _**"You've shown yourself to be different than most humans in my eyes. And that's enough for me."**_

Naruto couldn't find anything to say to that final comment, feeling the connection between him the Kyuubi fade into silence. "…I…" he tried to say, but the words evaded him.

 _"We'll speak more tomorrow, Naruto Uzumaki. For now, I'll have someone show you to a room to rest for the night."_

Taking a shaky breath, Naruto slowly rose to his feet and locked eyes with Belius. "Thanks…"

 _"I expect to hear more from you and your time tomorrow. I find myself intrigued by you and where you come from; even if I may never experience it for myself."_

He couldn't stop the faint smile from showing on his face. It made him happy that his life would gain such interest; even if it wasn't _human_ interest. Speaking of which…

"Hey, you never answered my question earlier. What are you?"

She chuckled at him and answered, _"I am what is known as an Entelexeia. I'll tell you more tomorrow, child."_

He nodded while Natz came back in and had someone escort Naruto to some barracks to rest and get possible medical attention. Left alone with his leader, Natz asked, "Is he trustworthy, Duce?"

 _"Yes, I believe he is. He has a very interesting story, and I'll be hearing more about it tomorrow. For now, I'll tell you what we've figured out."_

* * *

 _(Skit: I'm Sorry…)_

Naruto: I can't believe this is happening… _*a look of frustration*_ I only wanted to try out a seal and I wind up leaving my own time… And I left everyone behind too… _*sob*_ I'm so sorry… I didn't want this… I had so many promises left to keep… Sakura… Tsunade… Pervy Sage… Hinata and Neji… Sasuke… _*sob*_ …I'm sorry…

* * *

Days began to fly by, turning into weeks, months, and a little over a year. Naruto was seen standing before Belius and Natz once more, wearing the emblem of Palestralle on some clawed gauntlets. He still wore orange pants and got a new pair of sandals made that looked like his older pair. But he now wore a black vest with orange buttons that held it closed, a replacement headband with the Hidden Leaf emblem on its metal plate, a long black sash that acted as a belt and had the tail ends able to float in a breeze, and his necklace still around his neck. (1)

 _"Are you ready for today's training?"_ Belius asked, earning a nod from her youngest guild member. She had offered him a place in Palestralle a week after his arrival, hearing plenty about the time he was born in and the people he had loved and lost. She couldn't let someone with such drive and determination in his time slip passed her.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I still doubt that this necklace is a blastia like you think it is," he answered, looking down at the green gemstone Tsunade had given him.

 _"We won't know unless we try. Now, I'll have Natz show you an Arte and I want you to try and copy it. get a feel for the aer around you, call upon it, and unleash it as you attack."_

He nodded and Natz showed him a simple technique aptly called Palm Strike. It looked like a regular attack, but Naruto saw the slight distortion around Natz's palm and knew it was anything but regular.

"You think you got it?" the larger man asked.

Nodding, the whiskered blonde took a stance and focused. He tried to get a sense of the aer, using his old chakra methods as a starting point. It still saddened him to this day that he had lost his chakra, but he wouldn't wallow in self-pity. He had done enough of that during his first week in Nordopolica.

He mentally shook himself out of those thoughts and concentrated once more. Something strange came over him, something he had never felt before. Going with it, he thrust out his hand while his necklace gave a brief glow. Striking the wall, he roared, "Palm Strike!"

Aer came out of his hand in a burst, cracking the wall in front of him while his eyes widened in shock. They looked down to his necklace before turning to his two superiors, seeing the proud looks on their faces.

 _"Excellent. Now, we can truly start your training."_

He couldn't stop the grin from forming on his face and saluted the Duce. "I won't let you down, Belius!"

 _"I don't doubt that in the slightest,"_ she replied with a chuckle before she had Natz take him to the arena for training. Left alone, she mused aloud, _"I'm looking forward to the mark you'll make in this time, Naruto. Truly, our Terca Lumireis will need to be ready for you."_

* * *

 _(Skit: No Backing Down)_

Naruto: So much has changed… I thought I would just drift away and lose myself, like I lost my home and precious people. _*takes a breath*_ But, I won't give up. I didn't do it in my time, and I won't start now. It'd be an insult to everyone if I did. _*small smile*_ Everyone… I'll be okay. There's no backing down from this. I'll be the best I can be; that's my final promise to you all.

* * *

 **1~ If someone could draw him, that'd be great! I don't know the emblem for Palestralle, since I can't find one, but you don't need to put it on!**

 **And here it is, the first chapter of this story! I hope the title is fitting, since I believe a title should flow with its story!**

 **Naruto's a part of Palestralle now, and it turns out that the necklace Tsunade gave him is actually a blastia! But how far did Naruto go between timelines? What impact will he make on** _ **this**_ **timeline?**

 **And just how will he handle a certain Krityan Blastia Hunter?**

 _ ***hint hint***_

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	2. Chapter 2: Guild Business

**Hello again, my fellows of FanFiction!**

 **Update time!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, and this FanFiction is for entertainment purposes only. I aim only to bring out my creativity; not make a profit.**

* * *

 _A Future Lived in the Past_

 _Chapter 2: Guild Business_

* * *

"Well, that was an expensive trip wasted," grumbled a certain blonde as he walked through the Rising City of Heliord, not bothering to stay at the inn and just cutting through the small town.

He had been tasked by Belius to go speak to Don Whitehorse, leader of the Guild Union in Dahngrest. The Don, as was the legendary man's nickname, had sent a letter to Palestralle some time ago and Naruto had been sent as Belius's spokesperson; considering how she couldn't leave her city.

Entelexeia weren't exactly seen positively by society, after all.

Natz would have been sent instead, but the man was working with Regaey, leader of the Ruins' Gate guild. Ruins' Gate had been given permission to search around the ruins the city was built on for anything associated with blastia or some other importance. It was better to have Natz, a more experienced member of Palestralle, there to keep an eye on things.

But by the time Naruto had arrived at Dahngrest from the east, he saw that the bridge leading to the city had been broken off in some sections by an earlier monster attack. The repairs wouldn't be finished for at least a few weeks; so, this meant Naruto had to yell across the bridge to see what the Don wanted with Belius.

Unfortunately, to Naruto's growing misfortune, the Don had already sent one of his men from Altosk – his personal guild – to deliver a letter personally to Belius. He still couldn't fight a twitchy brow when the Don himself yelled that to him from across the bridge; or how he laughed at Naruto's wasted trip good naturedly.

As good a man the Don was, it seemed that he enjoyed seeing others in comical misery.

And so, Naruto was forced to make a trip to Torim Harbor to charter a ship back to Nordopolica. He was already coming up on the ruins of the fallen city known as Caer Bocram, which he ignored and walked past. He didn't have time for little side trips when he needed to get back to his guild. He'd already wasted enough time as it was.

"Hmm," he mused aloud, as he kept walking, despite the pouring rain. "I wonder if Miss Kaufman would be willing to help… She _is_ station in Torim, after all."

Deciding to put that plan on hold until he got to the port city, he instinctively dodged a Fireball spell that had been launched by a rogue mage. Flanking her were a couple of bandits armed with small daggers, the lot of them with greedy grins on their faces.

Giving out a tired sigh, he regarded the trio with a bland look and declared, "Listen, I'm not exactly in a good mood right now. So, you guys can either forget you saw me and walk away unscathed," he then turned to face them fully, flexing his clawed gauntlets in preparation, "or we can do this the hard way and you limp out of here with fresh bruises and a few broken bones. Your call."

The trio didn't take too kindly to his offer, glaring at him angrily. "Get him!" one of the bandits roared as he and his partner charged while the mage gathered aer for another spell.

Sighing again, Naruto simply reached down to his right hip and quickly drew his secondary weapon. It looked like a flintlock pistol that pirates usually carried; except this one held a small blastia core where the flint-ignition would be. He took aim quickly and fired four consecutive rounds of solidified aer at them all; two of them striking the bandits in their faces while the last two hit the mage in her hand and stomach.

The three of them fell backwards in a heap while Naruto holstered the gun and shook his head. "I warned you, didn't I?" he asked rhetorically, listening to them groan in pain. Turning around, he waved over his shoulder and walked off, calling back, "Next time, listen to good advice instead of ignoring it; or get _real jobs_!"

They could only groan in response.

* * *

By the time he arrived in the port city of Capua Torim, Naruto could honestly admit he was tired. But then again, who wouldn't be after traveling from Dahngrest all the way to this place?

Unfortunately, he couldn't stay at the local inn since their rooms were booked. While – as Shikamaru would've commented – it was troublesome, he wasn't going to cause problems. He'd done enough of that back in his time.

Thoughts of the time he was sent away from made him grow somber as he sat on a public bench that faced the sea. "I wonder how they're all doing without me," he mused softly. "I suppose it isn't _too_ terrible. I mean, at least the Akatsuki can't do anything for a while since the Kyuubi needs time to reform."

He looked up to the night sky, spying a single star that outshone the others. Its luster made him smile softly as he traced figures of his parents out of the neighboring skylights.

"I wish I had asked what they were like before I tried that stupid seal," he sighed out. "All I have are names and faces. Mom had awesome hair, though. I wonder why she kept it so long when I've seen how long hair gets in the way…"

He hummed thoughtfully at that before he guessed that it was a choice based on pride or something similar. If he had hair like hers, he'd be hesitant to cut it too. A chuckle escaped him as he pictured himself with Kushina's smooth red hair; but he just couldn't keep up the image. He wasn't a fan of being untrue to yourself, and his wild blonde hair was a part of him. He would embrace that happily.

He lowered his gaze back to the sea and the horizon beyond, focus on the direction of Nordopolica to the southwest. "First thing tomorrow, I should see if Miss Kaufman is in town and rent a ship back home." He paused for a moment, his eyes dulling faintly. "Home… I suppose that place _is_ home for me, now. I gotta remember to thank Belius for everything she and Palestralle have done for me."

He reached a hand up to grasp his blastia, looking at the green gem that he once thought was just a gift from Tsunade. To think that this thing held untapped power that required him to travel haphazardly through time to unlock… It still boggled his mind.

A chuckle escaped him. "Geez… Look at me thinking over so many different things… I sound like Pervy Sage when he thinks about the past…" He looked back up at the stars. "I'll still do what you dreamed of, Pervy Sage. No matter what time I wind up in, I'll search for peace; a peace that everyone can live freely in."

"I think that's a lovely dream," a female voice commented, making him turn to see a pinkette young woman with green eyes.

 _'Sakura?!'_ he thought in shock before he took a second look. _'Wait…No, this is a different girl. She's actually kinda pretty.'_

"Oh," she continued, looking apologetic. "Sorry if I startled you. I couldn't help but overhear what you were saying to yourself."

He chuckled at her, seeing another characteristic that was different from his old teammate. "No, it's alright. I was just…thinking over a bunch of stuff. I tend to talk to myself whenever I do."

She giggled at the sheepish expression he wore, and how he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I don't think that's a bad thing. Sometimes, it's nice to get your thoughts out there; even if they're just to yourself."

"Oh yeah? How do you figure?"

"Well… Thoughts are things you keep to yourself and are just that; thoughts," she tried to explain. "But…if you speak those thoughts – even to yourself – then they become something _more_."

"Huh… Guess I never really looked at it that way. I can see what you mean, anyway."

"I'm glad. I was having trouble finding the words," she admitted in slight embarrassment.

"I think you said it clear enough. I'm Naruto, by the way; Naruto Uzumaki."

She took the hand he offered and shook it with a smile. "I'm Estelle. It's nice to meet you, Naruto."

"You too."

"Well, I better get going. My friends and I are leaving tomorrow morning."

"Alright. Have a safe journey, Estelle."

"And you as well, Naruto," she bid before giving him a wave and heading for the inn.

"Nice girl," he commented after she left, smiling warmly. "Wish more people were that nice." He then laid himself across the bench, trying to get comfortable. "Least I have a place to sleep for the night."

And with that, he closed his eyes to rest, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Yuri asked Estelle the next morning, waiting outside of the rooms of the inn with everyone else but Rita.

Currently, the group had decided to try and charter a boat to the Desier continent so that Estelle could search for a monster that Judith had revealed was named Phaeroh. Said _monster_ had called the young princess an "insipid poison of the world", which had frightened and confused her. In those feelings, there also grew a need to find answers; answers that she believed she'd only get from the speaker of such a label.

Brave Vesperia – a fresh guild consisting of Yuri Lowell of Zaphias, his canine companion Repede, Karol Capel who was named the guild's leader, and Judith of the Kritya – took the job of escorting her to Phaeroh safely. It was their first real job as a new guild; so, they were hoping to see it succeed.

Rita Mordio, a mage who had traveled with them earlier, didn't reveal what her plans were and instead tried to talk Estelle out of going to Desier because of the infamy of the Sands of Kogorh. She didn't want to lose her friend, after all. Of course, Estelle was determined to see her personal quest through to the end.

As for the eldest of the group, Raven of the guild Altosk, he had been tasked with keeping an eye on Estelle by Don Whitehorse. Also, he had been sent to deliver a letter to Belius in Nordopolica; so, he was stuck going with the others; not that he showed any real negative feelings against it.

Sure, he had a complaint here and there, but most of them were said in jest or in good spirits. He was just, as he constantly called himself, an old man after all.

"Yes, I am. But what should we do about Rita?" the pinkette woman asked in concern.

The others looked to the room the girls shared last night. "That one has her own matter to attend to," Judith commented.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Yuri agreed.

The door to the room then opened and Rita stepped out with a bright smile. "So, first to the harbor and then find a boat?" she asked.

"Huh? Wait, you're coming too?" Karol asked.

"Yeah," she answered simply, making Raven raise a brow.

"Wasn't there something you had to go do?" he asked.

"Didn't you need to look for the aer krene?" Estelle added.

"Turns out the one back at Keiv Moc is already being looked at, and I haven't made my mind up on a route to get to others," the mage informed them.

Judith looked amused as she pointed out, "So, you'll be using us to help with your explorations, then."

Rita had the decency to look embarrassed at being found out so easily. "Well… There's no guarantee that I won't run into trouble like back in Heliord. I'd be safer with you guys, at least."

"Nice to see that your glowing personality hasn't changed," Yuri joked.

"I'm glad you'll be coming with us, Rita," Estelle confessed, making the Aspio girl gain reddened cheeks in embarrassment.

"I-It's no big deal, really," she tried to wave off.

The old man gave a whimsical sigh as he mused aloud, "Ah, to be young again…"

"You got something to say?!" Rita yelled at him.

"Whoa! Down girl!" Raven cried, having been on Rita's bad side a couple of times already. He didn't want to get roasted by her fire magic.

"So, to the harbor then," Yuri declared as the group of six people and one dog headed outside.

Once out of the inn and heading for the harbor, Estelle perked up at the sight of familiar blonde hair still on the public bench. Breaking away from the group, much to their confusion, she stopped in front of the sleeping blonde.

"Naruto?" she called to his sleeping form while the others joined her.

The whisker-faced blonde snorted in his sleep and turned on the bench. Unfortunately for him, he wound up rolling _off_ the bench and onto the paved ground. The sudden impact woke him up and he groaned in displeasure.

"Man… Couldn't I have just slept for five more minutes?" he groused as he stood up with a wide yawn, showing surprisingly sharp canine teeth to the others.

"Good morning," greeted Estelle kindly, earning his attention. She noticed him blink the sleep out of his eyes before he perked up in recognition.

"Oh, Estelle. Morning," he greeted back with a smile before he noticed the others. "These your friends?"

"Yes." She turned to them and started introductions. "Everyone, this is Naruto Uzumaki. I met him last night when I went out for some air."

"Sup?" Naruto greeted them with a simple wave.

"Nice to meet you," the youngest of the group greeted back. "I'm Karol Capel of Brave Vesperia."

"Brave Vesperia?" he asked, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully. "Never heard of that guild."

"It's new. Captain Karol here is its boss," the swordsman informed in a teasing tone that made Karol look sheepish. "Yuri Lowell," he then greeted, sharing a handshake with the blonde. "And this is Repede." The dog beside him gave a single bark in response.

"Rita Mordio," the mage said plainly, giving him a skeptical look.

"Huh… Based on that book strapped to your back, I'm guessing you're a mage, right?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Yeah…?" she asked back, raising a brow at him.

"Great, I was right! I've been working on my observation skills." He flexed an arm with a grin. "Always gotta keep on improving, y'know?"

She gave him a dry look and said nothing else. "The name's Raven," the old man introduced kindly. "Nice to meet ya, kid."

"Oi, I'm not some _kid_ , Pops," Naruto fired back with a slight twitch of the brow. "I'm a member of a guild, y'know."

"Oh yeah?" Karol asked in interest. "Which one?"

Naruto pulled out one of his gauntlets, showing them the guild emblem etched on the back of it. "Palestralle," he answered simply, though he gave a proud smile all the same.

"Of Nordopolica?" Raven asked in slight surprise. "Well now, what a coincidence! Turns out I have a letter from the Don for your boss."

"Oh, so _you're_ the one that the old man was talking about," Naruto mused, earning a few varied looks at his addressing of Don Whitehorse. He then turned to the only unnamed member and asked, "So, what's your name?"

"Judith," she answered sharing a handshake with him. She rose a brow at their joined hands before she squeezed it a bit tighter, smiling kindly all the while.

He raised a brow in return before he responded with a small smirk, tightening his own grip. Let it be known that Naruto Uzumaki didn't back down from a challenge; no matter who it was against. The two held a small contest of grip strength before Naruto conceded with a faint wince, making Judith's smile grow just a bit.

"Nice grip there," he complimented as he shook his slightly tender hand. "I wonder what else you've got going for you."

"I'd be happy to show you some time," she returned, accepting his hidden challenge as a gleam formed in her eye.

Yuri shook his head in amusement while Rita gave a soft groan in annoyance and the others looked a bit lost. Well, Estelle and Karol did, anyway. Raven just gave the universal expression of _"What can you do?"_ for the moment.

"So," Naruto got things back on track, "Pops needs to speak to my boss. What are the rest of you going to Desier for?"

"We're planning to go to the Sands of Kogorh," Estelle answered, earning an incredulous look from Rita.

"Estelle! You don't need to tell him anything that isn't his business!"

Estelle looked slightly ashamed at the scolding, but Yuri came to her aid. "Relax, Rita. It's not like telling him will hurt. Besides, he lives on the continent."

"Yeah!" Karol agreed, seeing what Yuri mean. "That means he might know about the desert!"

"Eh," Naruto began with a sheepish look, scratching his whiskered cheek with a finger. "Actually, the closest I ever got to the desert was near the end of the Weasand of Cados. I never had a need to go to the desert, and I only used that cavern to train with my bodhi blastia."

Rita perked up at that, taking note of said blastia hanging from his neck. "Hey… Why doesn't that have a casing like other bodhi blastia?"

"Hmm?" He looked to his necklace for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know. Is it really a big issue? The blastia works, at any rate."

Rita couldn't think of a response to the comment.

"Anyway, since you're all heading for Desier, you mind if I head there with you? I need to get back to Nordopolica and report to Belius. I'll help pay for the boat we could rent."

"I don't see a problem with that," Karol commented, speaking to the others. "We're heading for the same place, and Naruto could help us talk to Belius too."

"Well… It's not as simple as that," Naruto confessed.

"What do you mean?" Estelle asked.

"Belius only takes visitors once a month; at least, if they don't have an appointment beforehand. I only know that each time is related with the moon, but nothing else."

"Weird," Yuri commented with an odd look.

Naruto shrugged and smiled. "Eh, I'm sure she has her reasons. I've trained under her and her Second-in-Command personally; but I'm not as close to her as he is. I don't question it, anyway; not after all she's done for me."

"You must really respect her," Judith noted, her tone slightly soft.

Naruto's smile turned sad for a moment before it perked back up. "Yeah… She did more for me than I could ever hope to repay. The way I see it, she deserves the respect our guild has for her. If she told me that she was taking on some random group, I'd fight for her without question."

The dedication in his voice stunned the others for a moment, but Judith smiled faintly once it passed. On the inside, she was glad that Naruto held such devotion to Belius; considering what the leader of Palestralle was.

"Anyway, I'd appreciate a ride to Nordopolica if you guys manage to get a boat to take you," Naruto concluded.

Estelle smiled at him and replied, "I'm sure we can help you out."

"Can't let down a guy after he gives a speech like that, after all," Raven added with a wink at Naruto, who looked sheepish.

"Well then, Naruto, welcome to the group for now," Yuri stated.

"Thanks! I'll be sure to pay you guys back for the help!" he returned, grinning brightly with his arms behind his head.

* * *

 _(Skit: What's She Like?)_

 _(Naruto, Yuri, Estelle, and Karol are present)_

Estelle: Naruto, just what sort of person is Belius?

Naruto: Hmm… _*thinking expression before perking up*_ In a phrase, I'd have to say, "Wise Leader". She oversees a guild _and_ a city, after all; so, she needs to be able to balance the responsibilities of both. She also makes sure that any choice or decision is in the best interests of her people.

Yuri: Huh… She sounds like someone you'd want in your corner.

Naruto: _*grins*_ Definitely.

Karol: I can't wait to meet her, now!

Naruto: Easy now, Karol. While she's a great leader, she still deserves to be treated respectfully. So, try not to get too excited around her, yeah?

Karol: _*awkward laugh*_ Uh, right… I'll try to tone it down.

Yuri: I almost want to see him freak out so we could see how she reacts…

Estelle: Oh, Yuri… _*exasperated*_

* * *

With the newest member added, the group headed for the docks to try and charter a ship. Along the way, they spoke with the other candidate for the Imperial Throne, Prince Ioder. Currently, the young prince was heading for Heliord, where he would stay throughout the negotiations between the Empire and the Union.

While it was interesting to Naruto to meet the potential next Emperor, his guild wasn't part of the Union; so, he didn't bother to pay much attention. Instead, he took note of a ship that had a familiar redheaded woman standing on its deck discussing something with what could only be a small group of hired swords.

As the group approached the docks, they had to move out of the way of the mercenaries making a break for it; the lot of them pale with fear.

"Against that many?! You've gotta be crazy!" one of them cried.

"I wouldn't do that, even if I had nine lives!" another shouted.

Walking off the boat and after them angrily was Kaufman, who was so furious that she didn't even notice the people standing a few feet from her. "Halt! If you won't do the work that I've paid you all for, then I want my money back!" she roared before turning to her subordinate. "Add the Indigo Beasts to the blacklisted guilds!"

"Yes, Madam President!" he replied, pulling out a notebook and writing something inside it.

Naruto whistled in amazement. "Damn, I've seen her annoyed at times; but I've never seen her so pissed before."

"You know her?" Estelle asked.

"Yep. That's Kaufman, of Fortune's Market. They're one of the Five Master Guilds of the Union."

"In other words, she's one of the top dogs," Raven clarified.

"Hey!" Karol exclaimed with a bright look. "What if we ask to rent that boat she has?"

"Huh, that wouldn't be a bad idea," Yuri answered.

"Yes," Judith agreed. "This way, we could have a ship to sail with."

With the plan made, they approached the woman, who turned to face them as she heard them get closer. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Yuri Lowell. You've come just in time," she greeted.

"Guess those wanted posters really do work," the swordsman noted sarcastically.

"Wanted posters?" Naruto repeated.

"It's a long story," Rita dryly answered.

"O…kay, then."

"I've got a job that would be just perfect for you," Kaufman continued.

"Hard labor, is it?" Yuri guessed.

"I like a man who cuts to the chase," she complimented before turning serious. "As you may or may not have heard, schools of merman often attack cargo ships this time of year."

"But I thought another guild always served as your escort?" Karol asked.

"They do, but their leader passed away suddenly; so, I couldn't hire them," she informed.

"Which guild did you usually hire, Boss Lady?" Naruto asked.

"Ah, Naruto. Thought I'd recognized you. That nickname only proved it."

"Well, you _are_ a boss _and_ a lady," he defended with a shrug before a grin formed. "I thought it fit a woman of your _status_."

She chuckled at his attitude before getting back to his question. "I normally hired the Blood Alliance as escorts."

"Gee," Rita began sarcastically, "I wonder what happened to them…"

"You're all as guilty as I am," Yuri argued, confusing Naruto. "Sorry, but we're a little busy right now."

Naruto cut in. "Ignore that, Boss Lady. We were actually hoping you had a boat for us to use to get to Nordopolica."

"Trying to get back home?" she asked him with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, but they have business of their own in Desier. That issue with the merman you had… Would you let me use the boat as payment?"

"Just you?" she wondered, a brow raised.

"Well, they're not part of Palestralle. Turns out, they're a new guild."

"We're called Brave Vesperia," Karol supplied with a bright grin.

"That sounds like a wonderful name," Kaufman complimented.

"And we already have a job, so we can't take your offer," Yuri added.

"Hmm, well then, we won't call it _business_ ," she supplied helpfully, a gleam in her eyes. "Let's just say that we're a few guilds giving one another a helping hand."

Naruto chuckled at that, having worked with Kaufman a couple of times to know how she likes to do _business;_ straightforward or otherwise.

"I'll be more than happy to let you take this boat to Nordopolica, seeing as I won't have any problems arranging another ship," she continued. "I'll let you keep the ship next to me if you successfully get me there without damaging any of the cargo aboard."

"Really?" Karol asked in surprise.

"Hmm, the boat's pretty beat up," Judith began, eyeing the floating vessel, "but it's still a good deal."

"The merman must be pretty tough customers if you're willing to part with a boat," Yuri mused.

"I'll leave that to your imagination," Kaufman replied easily.

Naruto moved over to her and grinned at the others. "Aw, c'mon guys! I'm sure you all can handle a few mermen! Besides, you have me with you!"

"Still as confident as ever, I see."

"Would you trust me if I was any different?" he fired back at the female boss.

"Can't say that I would. Belius is lucky to have you," she praised before she moved up the docking ramp and onto the boat.

Naruto grinned wider at her compliment before turning back to the others. "So, you guys ready to go?"

Yuri looked to the others while Karol looked over the supplies he had in his large bag. "What do you all think?"

"I say we take the deal," Judith answered with an easy smile. "This is the best option for now; and I don't think Estelle would want to risk not finding another boat."

The others turned to the pinkette, seeing her look anxiously at the boat before her expression turned guilty. "Sorry… I just really think we should accept Miss Kaufman's offer."

"We get a free boat out of this deal!" Karol cheered. "We can sail all over when we finish the job!"

"The runt's got a point," Rita agreed. "Besides that, I'm with whatever decision you make. I need you guys to help me find aer krene after all."

"Think of it this way," Raven spoke up, "if you guys succeed at this, you'll already be seen favorably by one of the Five Master Guilds. That kinda opportunity shouldn't be wasted, y'know."

Naruto waited patiently for them to decide, having already chosen to take the job since it would get him back to the coliseum city. He honestly hoped they would since they all looked like good people; which would make traveling with them enjoyable. It wasn't any fun to go all over the place by himself, after all.

Yuri turned to the blonde and nodded with a smirk. "Well, looks like we're in."

"Awesome!" he cheered, sharing a smile with Karol and Estelle. "We better not keep Boss Lady waiting, then. Let's set sail!"

With that declaration, he headed up the ramp and waited on the deck of the ship. After the others made a quick purchase of last minute supplies, they boarded as well and the ship set sail from the port. The group was then given some basic instructions on sailing the Fiertia; the ship they would hopefully get from Kaufman.

Along with the ship came a sailor by the name of Tokunaga. He was a respectful fellow who looked to be right at home on the ship. He offered to steer for them until they got the hang of it, which was thanked by the others.

With everything laid out, the group of seven plus one dog got comfortable as the boat glided through the gentle waters.

* * *

 _(Skit: This Is Soooooo Bad)_

 _(Yuri, Estelle, Rita, Judith, and Naruto are present)_

Yuri: We just started out and we're already working with one of the Five Master Guilds. This is good!

Judith: Yeah. You're one step to making your dream a reality, Karol. Aren't you happy?

Rita: You talking to the kid? He's over there mumbling about something.

 _*Karol's image slowly moves across the screen as he talks*_

Karol: _*dull expression*_ Mermen… The first thing had to be mermen… Brave Vesperia has some bad luck… _*he looks nervous*_ What's the president of Fortune's Market gonna think of us if we fail?! This is bad… _*he looks worried*_ This is soooooo bad!

 _*he moves off screen*_

Estelle: I don't think he's very happy…

Naruto: It's just nerves, is all. Mermen aren't so bad if you're prepared for them. Trust me, this trip would've been bad if we weren't warned of them beforehand.

Estelle: You've dealt with them before, Naruto?

Naruto: Yeah, but I had some mercenaries helping me out.

Judith: Anyway, it's good that Karol is being careful about this.

Naruto: Yeah. I can tell that he really cares about your guys' safety.

Rita: _*deadpan look*_ That's not being careful. That's running and hiding.

* * *

 **Second chapter is finished!**

 **You guys got a small glimpse of what sort of equipment Naruto uses in battle. His main weapons are his gauntlet claws, and his sub weapon is guns (like Patty in the PS3 port of this game). Sadly, I haven't played the PS3 port; so, this story will follow the Xbox 360 plotline.**

 **Alongside those weapons, I plan to have Naruto use spells of a singular element. I'd like you guys to try and guess what it is, and I'll give you a couple of hints.**

 **Hint 1: It is NOT wind (since that is Raven's element)**

 **Hint 2: It is one of the many elements Rita uses (and she won't use those spells since Naruto will have them)**

 **Back to the story itself; Naruto is now traveling with the gang, and they're setting sail for Nordopolica! But, what troubles will they find on these deceptively open waters?**

 **Stay tuned to find out!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


End file.
